Good morning... The subject line in his email read, "A Nifty Poem." Opening the gift this Sunday morning after Christmas 2020, I was invited outside the box with God. "I've never seen that poem before," he wrote, "and yes it is quite appropriate for now. You know, we were talking about this recently, that I've gone to church [...]
Good morning... As I pulled out my phone's camera to snap a photo of the rising sun, I thought, "How do we response to the dawning of light?" We can't stop it or deny it or contain it for ourselves. We can only notice it. Admire it. Expect it. Reflect it. Appreciate it. Hope for it. Bask in [...]
Good morning... Emmanuel, God-with-us, is born anew today. God humbles himself to put on skin, to grow up with us, to walk beside us, to quietly guide us. Christ's footprint mirrors our footprint, wherever slushy, sloppy circumstances greet us at rise of sun. Day after day, night after night, God's experience gently mirrors our experience so we never [...]
Good morning... Fifty-eight years ago today, my husband Steve surprised his parents by arriving three weeks early. From the pulpit as a Presbyterian minister, his father was able to announce a double meaning at each Christmas Eve service, "Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given!" Fast forward to now. Do you remember that [...]
Good morning... Over the phone, she describes in detail her favorite painting of the newborn Jesus with his mom and dad. She notices the image as her guide for this unusual Christmas. She begins, "It's a dingy stable room instead of a soft warm space. The setting reminds me of the small, one room apartments we would encounter [...]
Good morning... "Every year since we've been married, we've traveled to see our families," she said over the phone yesterday. "Today is the day we always leave, we head up north, we go to my parent's home to gather with all the aunts, uncles, and cousins. Then we spend time with my husband's family. For the first time, [...]
Good morning... From a handful of people whom I love dearly, I was forwarded the following email over the past week. The Christmas Star appearing this year on December 21 is making news. It is amazing that this occurrence is in the year 2020. In the year when Jesus was born there was violence, chaos, political and social [...]
Good morning... Tonight Northside Church presents Christmas Candlelight Vespers 2020. Tune in from the comfort of your home on Sunday at 6:00PM. No registration required. This evening of Christmas choral music and carol arrangements will include a professional chamber choir joined by a string quartet, pianos, and organ. Our theme, "Christ’s Light, Eden’s Bloom,” will bring music of [...]
Good morning... Her family is taking new form this holiday season as she experiences the two sided coin of her recent divorce. Old fears and new freedoms. Old hurts and new hopes. Old memories and new meaning. Though we are unable to gather in our living room for our weekly class, we walk and talk privately, regularly, with [...]
Good morning... Writing yesterday's blog post, Grass Isn't Always Greener, I was tucked in between two life-giving emails. Before I began writing around 4:30 am, I read the following encouragement from my eighty-seven year old friend. Sue, Thank you for including me in your blog, which cheered me up, once again in the story of our Lord's birth. [...]
